Anna Fenninger knew that the Giant Slalom was her last chance to win a medal at the 2013 Schladming World Championships. The HEAD World Cup Rebel said after the race that “These have been a difficult World Championships for me but I am happy for today as this was my last chance for medal. This morning I felt I could do it, I was not nervous, I skied what I can and made a medal,” she smiled. Third after the first run, Fenninger held on to the place behind Tessa Worley who won and Tina Maze who claimed the silver.

After coming down into the finish following her second run, Fenninger was in second place with two more still to go. How did she feel? “The feeling in the finish was not nice,” she explained. While the slope was not easy to ski due to the icy conditions, Fenninger explained “it was fun to ski here and I am happy with medal, yet the moment in the finish was not nice.”

Having come to Schladming as one of the favourites for gold in three events, how did Fenninger sum up her Championships? “The first week was hard, not only for me but the other racers as well, there was so much to do with media and fans, not much time for myself, at the start it was not good without medals and the pressure got greater. I didn’t feel good in the start of the speed events. The Combined downhill was good but not in downhill itself, it was not my day. I had lost the energy; I had no results so went home for one day. I then did two days Giant Slalom training and this was good; this has been the mirror of my whole season,” she explained.

After the slow start to the Championships for her, how did Fenninger turn things around? “I did not have great expectations but I wanted to win a medal, the worse it got, the more I blanked my expectations, I then just concentrated on how well I can ski and take it day by day.”